There comes a time when a home addition is necessary. While you may think that your home is big enough to accommodate your family, size isn’t always the only reason why homeowners go for room additions in Los Angeles. Sooner or later, you will want to add an extra space to change the general appeal and functionality of your home.
Room additions come in different types, from the simplest basement extensions to other expensive expansions that need excavation, and extra roofing. We will discuss all the types of room additions you can go for when thinking of adding one in your home.
Why consider room additions in your home?
There are several reasons why room additions are becoming a popular choice for most Los Angeles homeowners:
Extra space
Families grow. And when you no longer have that extra space, it becomes uncomfortable. Moving to a larger home isn’t always the better option because it’s more expensive. That’s the reason most people opt for room addition in Los Angeles. Room additions will not just bring comfort to family members but also the guests, by adding extra room to serve as guest rooms.
Added home value
Depending on the size of your home, a room addition may add an extra value of your home. Extra additions such as a private office area, or a fitness center means more resale value for your home.
Add natural light to your home
Sometimes, the only way to increase natural light to our homes is by adding an extra sunroom in our home. This will increase the amount of light to other rooms, bringing a totally different and beautiful appearance to your home. Sunrooms also ensure your family members and guests enjoy the natural light experience while getting protected from elements like snow, cold, and severe weather.
Extra functionality
Depending on the room addition type, you can reduce the wear and tear for the high traffic areas. A room addition can also have extra functionality such as a guest room, playground, home office, or even a fitness area. There is always an option to change the room’s functionality to fit your needs.
The Most Common Types of Los Angeles Room Additions
Attic conversion
Although this isn’t exactly a room addition, converting your attic into a finished space can offer an extra and much-needed space for your home. Besides the space, this means your home’s value will increase in the long run.
Based on the local building codes, basements need to be completely dry, with attics at least meeting the ventilation and insulation standards. Besides, any converted spaces here, if they will serve as sleeping spaces, must have exits.
On average, the cost of doing this full conversion is about $40,000. Keep in mind that these costs vary depending on the space and your requirements.
Full size house addition
This is a room structure constructed on to the side and is permanently open to the main house. When perfectly built, this addition beautifully blends with the main house, while still being an entirely different house. This type of room addition can include different areas like the dining area, guest bedroom, or the family room.
This type of addition comes with everything regarding full house construction, and is subject to all the building codes and permits.
Such additions also require major excavations and construction works like plumbing, wiring, and HVAC.
Usually, such room addition in Los Angeles will cost anything between $72,000 and $150,000.
Bump out
A bump out is the best option when you just need to add an extra single room to your home while still keeping the costs down.
A bump out is a single structure built on the side of the main house, and normally built to serve a single purpose, in most cases, a bedroom.
These types of additions often require an extension of your main roofline. While they are a cheaper option compared to full size house addition, they still require major construction services like excavation. Besides, you will still need to obtain the general building permits and maintain the required codes.
In general, expect to spend at least $50,000 for this addition.
Sunroom
A sunroom is often added to the side of the main house and serves as an extra living space for your family and friends. In some cases, these rooms can be built in a closed form with a single entrance. Since they are smaller than bump outs, these additions are usually made of materials like aluminum, and thermal resistant glasses that are assembled on the site.
In terms of costs, professionally built sunrooms may cost more than $25,000. But if you opt for a DIY project, with several tutorials on the internet, you could end up saving a lot by only spending as little as $5,500.
You should know that sunrooms never serve purposes like permanent bedrooms, kitchens, or bathrooms.
Garage conversion
Just by adding flooring, ceiling, and painting your garage, you can transform this space into a fully functional living room! In most cases, most homeowners in Los Angeles transform their garages into living rooms or bedrooms.
It’s always a cheaper option since most factors like the basic foundation, wall structure, and the roof are already in place. You just have to work on the interiors.
Some garages even have drywalls already installed, making it even easier for DIY projects.
However, keep in mind that garage conversions may come with a few disadvantages. One, it’s always hard to blend the conversion to aesthetically match the rest of your home. Besides, major systems like plumbing are never installed and will need a lot of input to install them.
On average, expect to spend at least $30,000 for these types of room additions.
Conclusion
These are just the few types of room additions in Los Angeles that you might want to consider. Whether you want to increase the space in your home, or want to improve its resale value, these additions will serve any of the purposes. When you are ready, just remember to work with the right Los Angeles general contractor who is qualified to do the work within the laws, while still maintaining the high standards of your home.